Visual Communication of Climate Change

Visual communication of climate change encompasses the design, selection and deployment of images, graphics and interactive media to inform, engage and motivate diverse audiences about climate science, risks and solutions. It bridges scientific data and public understanding by harnessing the psychological power of visual framing, affective imagery and narrative elements. Photographs of extreme weather, infographics of rising carbon emissions and symbolic icons such as polar bears each act as entry points for audiences, evoking emotions that range from fear to hope and shaping risk perceptions and behavioural intentions. At the same time, data visualisations—whether static charts or immersive virtual reality simulations—translate complex model outputs into intuitive visuals, enhancing comprehension among policymakers and the wider public. Effective visual communication must balance accuracy and clarity with emotional resonance, ensuring that images of threats provoke constructive engagement rather than fatalism, and that solution-oriented visuals foster self-efficacy and collective action. Across digital platforms, social media campaigns and traditional print, research is converging on best practices for tailoring visual messages to cultural contexts, leveraging cognitive processes such as mental imagery and framing theory to promote more informed dialogue and policy support on a global scale.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have elucidated the role of mental imagery in shaping affective responses and risk perception of climate change. In an experimental design that enhanced, allowed or prevented mental imagery related to climate impacts, researchers found that heightened imagery led to stronger negative emotional valence and a marked increase in perceived personal risk. This causal link underscores how internally generated visuals can mimic sensory experience of environmental threats, suggesting that communications incorporating vivid mental imagery or prompts to visualise future hazards may more effectively heighten engagement and risk awareness.

Visual Communication of Climate Change publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in visual communication of climate change across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Visual framing: The strategic presentation of visual elements—such as colours, composition and contextual cues—to influence interpretation and emphasis of an issue.

Mental imagery: The internal generation of sensory-like experiences that mimic seeing or feeling events, which can amplify emotional responses and risk perceptions.

Visual metonym: A graphic or icon that repeatedly appears in communication and comes to symbolise a broader concept or issue, carrying associative meanings beyond its literal content.

References

1. A causal link between mental imagery and affect-laden perception of climate change related risks. Scientific Reports (2023).
2. More than meets the eye: a longitudinal analysis of climate change imagery in the print media. Climatic Change (2019).
3. Reducing Plastic Waste by Visualizing Marine Consequences. Environment and Behavior (2022).
4. Defining a visual metonym: A hauntological study of polar bear imagery in climate communication. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers (2022).
5. Images of Extreme Weather: Symbolising Human Responses to Climate Change. Science as Culture (2013).